Thanksgiving arrives tomorrow to signify the beginning of the annual holiday season. While the holidays are a highly-anticipated time of the year for many families, some families will be split up this holiday season for the first time because of divorce. Dealing with a divorce or the recent effects of divorce can be trying, particularly during the holidays for couples with children.
The Oklahoma divorce lawyers of Fry & Elder realize this and urge those couples with children who will be split up for the first time to come up with a holiday visitation schedule that each parent can sign off on if they have not already. Below are a few things to consider when writing out a holiday visitation schedule for separated parents.
Give & Take
It is important to understand going into the scheduling process that no party is going to get exactly what they want. Your child can only be in one place at one time so there needs to be a little give and take. This approach works much smoother when the parents respect one another and the fact that they both love and want to spend time with their child.
Create Ways to Share the Holidays
The most classic model of a holiday visitation schedule for divorced parents probably is the even-year, odd-year formula in which one parent gets certain holidays during the even years and one during the odd years. Some holidays could of course be parent specific. For example, one parent may have a longstanding Memorial Day weekend tradition that they want to keep intact, while the other may have an established Labor Day tradition.
Remember that Memories are Made During the Holidays
On the surface, it may seem like children most look forward to the holidays because of the gifts, food, traditions and getting a break from school. While these are all important elements of the holiday season for a child, deep down it is the time spent with each parent that they will remember and cherish most vividly. This is important for each parent to keep in mind during the holidays. Because there will be a break from school, each parent should try and best maximize their time with their child – keep them active with activities and outings and don’t be afraid to incorporate some new traditions into the holiday mix. These types of things will further expand on your child’s holidays memories with you.
Experience the Fry & Elder Difference
If you are going through a divorce this holiday season and have children, know that there are resources available. The Oklahoma family law firm of Fry & Elder has been consistently recognized as one the elite family law firms in the nation, having been named to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms list for each of the past four years. Robert G “Hap” Fry Jr. is one of only 19 attorneys in Oklahoma to be a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and also has been named Lawyer of the Year for Family Law in Tulsa for 2016 by Best Lawyers®. Fellow Fry & Elder partner M. Shane Henry was recently named the 2016 Oklahoma Family Law Attorney of the Year by the Oklahoma Bar Association Family Law Section.
In addition to Fry and Henry, trial lawyers Aaron D. Bundy and James R. Elder have each achieved the prestigious AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®. If you need help drafting or modifying an existing holiday visitation schedule don’t hesitate to contact Fry & Elder today.